MUCS James Richards, Jr., U.S. Navy (1971-1995)

The very best chow I ever had in a mess hall was at the Naval Communication Station, Nea Makri, Greece. I was attached to Commander Task Force 60.1 staff as a Navy Musician on board the USS Forrestal, CVA 59. As part of the band, we had quite a few duties that took us to the beach to either play concerts for the public or events at the Athens USO and other needs of the Admiral. Many times when we were available, the COMSTA at Nea Makri would send a bus to the fleet landing and we (our band was not a typical 18-piece band, but a 7-piece rock band called “Third Wire”) would board the bus for the ride to the Communication Station. The men and women of the base really enjoyed it when we played for them. Many times, upon our arrival, we would be ushered into the chow hall for a really great meal. It seems that this COMSTA had maybe less than 500 officers and enlisted people stationed there. In fact, as I recall, the officers and the enlisted used the same dining facility. Well, this one time, the Forrestal was in port, and it was a Friday night and the Chief tells us we are going to Nea Makri for the weekend. Well into the liberty launches, we put ourselves and our gear for the 20-minute boat ride to the fleet landing. Then onto the bus over “hill and dale” to the COMSTA Nea Makri. When we arrived, our contact told us we were just in time for evening chow. We thought it can’t be any worse than the chow on board the ship, and we piled into their chow hall. We got in line and as we approached the steam table…. one of the cooks said to us, how do you like it and how many…. which was a puzzling question for us standing in a chow line. So I remember asking, how DO I like WHAT and how many of WHAT do I want? He replied…”Steaks”…. how do you like yours cooked and how many do you want? That is when my jaw dropped. I said medium rare and one will do, thanks. Moving down the line there were baked potatoes and vegetables and even rolls and butter…. a commodity that was rare aboard the Forrestal in 1973. Well, that had to be the best meal I ever had in any Navy Mess although waking up on Christmas morning on the ship, and coming up one flight to the mess deck to find the LARGEST collection of fresh fruit I have ever seen in one place is a very close second…. but that is a story for another time…..

Now the worst chow….. well let’s be honest…. all chow is healthy and nutritional for sailors at sea. However, when you have been underway for several weeks and the milk is gone, and the fresh eggs are gone, and you are hoping against hope that you will soon replenish at sea and get some more decent chow…. then that might be the time you would experience the worst chow… (as a personal opinion). We had been steaming for about 20+days and for some reason did not get a replenishment. It was evening chow…… and the meat of the day was LIVER. Now, my father loved calfs liver as a meal and I know many who find it’s not so delicate flavor quite palatable. But I WAS never a fan and, since we were short on supplies, that was the only main course offered. To top off that meal…. I think the only drink available was coffee or green bug juice, which seems to go well with Liver. But the pi ce de r sistanceh was the fresh rolls they had baked. Unfortunately, what we thought were rolls with seeds were actually rolls with flour weavels…. when the rolls were on your plate, the “seeds” started to move. We all had a good laugh about it and I actually ate the liver ….it wasn’t bad but NOT a favorite…… when you are hungry you will eat anything.

Read the Military Memories of our Runner-Ups.